Monday, April 7, 2014

Bethel, Maine April 7, 2014

We Listen to a Prophet's Voice :)

Family Dearest,                                           April 7, 2014

Hey, hey!  I hope you had a fantastic, amazing, wonderful week!! :)  I was thinking about you as I was watching conference and crocheting squares for our wonderful blanket!!  That was such a blessing, I just loved it so, soooo much!!!  Greatest tradition ever :)  I'm glad that I was able to be apart of it still on the other side of the country! 

Well, before I go off about conference, there is still so much that I have to tell you that went on before the weekend.  What a week this was!  We were able to teach 8 member lessons, which is quite a feat here in New England!  I'm so grateful for our dedicated members who sacrifice their time to go out with us and teach the gospel!  They are incredible! :)  We were able to teach Arleen, and we got WONDERFUL news on Saturday... She completed the stop smoking program!! :)  She is amazing!  It was difficult for her at first, but now she is so happy that she did it!  She also knows that she can't let herself slip though our she will get back into the habit.  She is such a great example to me of trusting in the Lord and doing all we can to keep the commandments, and we will be blessed.  She is really happy and so are we! :)  We were also able to teach Michael who is reading a lot out of the Book of Mormon!  Last lesson was awesome, he totally bore his testimony to us that he knows the gospel is true and he so desperately wants to become apart of it.  Because of choices he has made in his past he needs to be fully living the gospel before we can set a date to have his baptism interview.  We just keep praying that he will have the strength he needs to overcome his addictions and make the choices necessary to be able to be interviewed for baptism.  I just love that man so much, he has so much faith, and he loves the Savior so much!  We are also making a lot of progress with Jessica!  She watched conference at a member's house and really liked it.  She is already a great example to her friends at school and she has invited them to come to her baptism already!  The youth here are really strong and they are great missionaries! :)  Overall, teaching has just been such a blessing!  We were able to have some great lessons this past week!  Hooray for the Spirit!!

On Thursday we also had our last district meeting this transfer.  It was super great!  Our district is awesome!  We each shared a favorite conference talk, and it took a bit for me to decide because I have so many, but I chose "Come What May and Love It"  By Elder Worthlin.  I just love that talk soo much!  It is great to always keep that in mind.  It was especially great to remember because Thursday was SUPER crazy!  After district lunch (we went to a delicious Chinese buffet, yum!) we met with our ward mission leader and got everything figured out for Adan's baptism on Friday.  Everything was all coming together!  During the ride home we got a call that kinda changed all of that though.  It was Sheny and her uncle had died so the whole family was going to leave for Boston as soon as they could.  It was a bit of a shock, but come what may and love it right?  Although it was sad that we had to postpone his baptism, it all worked out.  Why?  Because like right after we hung up with her, we saw that Sister May had pink eye.  Holy cow, it was quite the experience!  Everything happens in the Lord's timing, and it would seem that Adan needs to be baptized this coming week, if that is His will.  I'm kinda praying that it is because we have had to change his baptism date like, 4 times already!  I'm just so excited for his baptism!!  He is so great and he has really gained a testimony of the gospel :)  Hopefully next week I'll be sending home baptism pictures!

Friday was not super exciting, we planned and had to stay inside because Sister May was contagious.  We kept things pretty clean though and I washed my hands a lot and it looks like I didn't get it, and I hope that it stays that way!  We did get some exciting news though.. Because of priesthood session being on transfer call night they changed transfer calls to Friday night.  Neither of us felt like we would get a call, and we didn't, so WE'RE SAFE!!  I'm so excited to serve in Oxford for another transfer with Sister May!! She is wonderful and I just love her soooo much!! :)  We have a great time together! 

Alright, so now I can finally get to conference! :)   I just love General Conference!  It was such an amazing one too!  I saw lots of similarities and patterns throughout and it was just so spiritually uplifting!  I love being able to hear the powerful but simple teachings and testimonies that were given by servants of the Lord.  I loved how much family history work was talked about.  I was thinking of Grandma Otto and her love for genealogy and the legacy that she herself left behind.  I was also thinking about my pioneer ancestors and the faith and devotion they had to God.  I've learned so much from my ancestors and I can't wait to continue to seek them out and learn even more!  I'm so grateful for them, and I just love them!  Which leads to another huge theme.  LOVE!!  President Monson and many others focused on charity, love and service.  It is such a small principle, but super important!  I need to strive to more willingly look outside myself and love and help others along the way.  As I was studying Preach my Gospel this morning I read the section about Charity and Love in the Christ-like attributes chapter (which is definitely one of my very favorite chapters!).  There were a lot of similarities between that and President Monson's talk which I thought was pretty neat!  (insert blurb about following Elder Ballard's counsel and getting and studying Preach my Gospel!  It's awesome! :))  Overall, I feel so renewed and strengthened by listening to conference!  It was exactly what I needed! :)  A goal that I have is to continually study the words spoken at conference.  Last conference I didn't do too well at that, but I know that it is so important.  Elder Hales said, "The greatest blessings of conference come to us after the conference is over.  Remember the pattern recorded frequently in scripture: we gather to hear the works of the Lord, and we return to our homes to live them."  I'm excited to apply what we've been taught and set goals to help me as I strive to become more like Christ!! :) 

I love you all so much and I'm just so grateful for you :)  I hope that you have a fantastic week and look for ways to love and serve each other :)

D&C 68:4
Sister Bergeson :)

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